Binn Bhreac

The weather forecast was set fair so the decision was made to hit the hills and explore more fully the range of the 'Twelve Bens', the mountains that ended up providing the backdrop for each of my blips on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week. There was an irresistible calling. The only shot that I could really post today was of the view back the other way, from the summit of Binn Bhreac here over to Knockbrack on the left and Diamond Mountain beyond. Centre frame in the distance is Tully Mountain with the islands of Inishbofin (just to the left) and Inishturk (further to the right) just discernible about 15 to 20 miles away if you go large. Kylemore Abbey, the starting point of our walk can be seen in the valley to the far right.

I am growing to love these mountains. There is very little tradition of hill walking in this part of Ireland and the trails are completely undeveloped. There are no footpath signs and, indeed, there is very little sign of any kind of path on the ground. You follow your eye and the map and walk where the lie of the land tells you to go. This was how the Lake District in England must have been a hundred years ago. We didn't expect to encounter a single soul up here today but on the very highest point of the range, at the summit of Binn Bhan, there was a group of five lovely fellows, good friends from different parts of the country who come together to walk the hills, a couple of which had just completed their full set of each of the county tops of Ireland, this top being the highest point in the county of Galway. I was very happy to join them in a wee snifter to celebrate!

These are not high mountains by most standards (Binn Bhan stands at 2,392 ft) but, rising more or less out of the sea, their stature defies their physical size somehow. These are truly grand and imposing mountains and not to be trifled with. They are genuinely wild. The lower slopes also have their delights. Both on the walk up and back down to Kylemore Abbey we encountered some beautiful solitary trees in the most dramatic of settings.

After a quick cup of tea and a bite of cake in the Abbey tearooms it was an easy decision to forsake the normal tourist thing to head off up the road to explore a bit more. After a look at Killary Harbour we ended up at Glassilaun Beach, another of Connemara's secret wonders: an improbably beautiful and quiet white sand beach with views out to the islands and dominated by the isolated mountain of Mweelrea which happens to be the county top of Mayo. I'm sure we'll be sitting on the summit of that hill looking down on this very beach on our next trip to the west coast. It too is now calling us.

Just before sunset, with the beach to ourselves, we went for our final swim of this little adventure. The water here wasn't as calm as it had been on the other beaches we'd visited. TJ was very amused when a wave completed consumed me and I disappeared from sight for a few seconds! I still can't get over how warm the water has been here. The swimming has been something of a revelation! It was then a drive back around the coast to our B&B in Clifden for another night of music.

NB The previous evening we caught the wonderful Kate O'Callaghan again at Mullarkey's, supporting Willy and the Bandits. Her music was now very familiar, having had her CD on continuous play in the car all day. I think her enchanting voice will forever be joined in my mind with the enchanting landscape of Connemara! And Willy was awesome. Their music is hard to describe so I won't even try. They are on tour in England in October so try to catch them. They rocked the place out on Thursday evening. Their musicianship was outstanding. Their sound was amazing. Nobody there wanted the gig to end.